A Cruel Thirst
by Angela Montoya
“So, you’re a vampire. What happens if you’re...really bad at it?”
Meter Ratings
〰️
Meter Ratings 〰️
Cozy Meter: 4/5
Spicy Meter: 1/5
Epic Meter: 3/5
Ew Meter: 1/5
Re-Readability Meter: 5/5
Feelings Meter: 4/5
Overall Book Vibes:
Immaculate
Trigger Warnings:
moderate violence, loss of a loved one, murder
Summary
〰️
Summary 〰️
All Carolina wants to do in her small town is hunt down and slay sedientos (vampires) to protect her home and prove her worth. All her family wants is to keep her sage by marrying her off to a man that will take her far away. Thankfully, Carolina’s headstrong nature has her saying ‘hey, how about no,’ as she covertly works to prove to her father that she is a better sediento hunter than her brothers.
But her entire world is upside-down when she tries and fails to kill a newly turned sediento named Lalo.
Lalo lost his parents to sedientos, and, in his grief, got himself turned into one. And, to be completely frank, it isn’t going well. He and his younger sister are forced to flee their city in search of the place where the first vampire was rumored to be made, hoping they can find an answer that will turn him back. The catch? He’s a TERRIBLE vampire. He refuses to drink human blood, gets nauseous at the memory of the one time he lost control, and doesn’t even know how to fight.
When Lalo and Carolina collide, his stark humanity and general hapless nature has her staying her hand instead of striking him down. Together, they hatch a plan to try and eradicate all sedientos once and for all that includes a false engagement, a lot of research, and many wide-brimmed hats.
My Review
〰️
My Review 〰️
This book DID IT for me. I joined an online group read-along on a whim, and got so pulled in by the story that I finished it within a week (instead of following the reading schedule…oops.)
The story itself is delightful. The writing is accessible in a way that has me calling this book fairly cozy. Filled with humor, witty banter, with a mysterious undertone, and the cutest romance, it is rife with some of my favorite tropes and no tropes that made me groan.
And the characters? I LOVE them. Take Carolina, our strong, take no shit, FMC. It would have been so easy to make her into a Mary Sue subservient but powerful archetype, but instead she finds her depth in how she navigates the world around her. She balances her family’s expectations and her warring, intense desire to protect them in a very human way. I usually feel a certain amount of rage when I ready a book with a girl expected to be docile due to societal expectations, but she holds her own and makes sure never to lose her autonomy. Her character growth throughout the book is palpable and believable. Oh, and did I mention she’s funny AF?
Now, let’s talk about Lalo. I mean, come on. He’s a terrible vampire. He’s a complete cinnamon roll. And all he wants to do is protect the people he cares most about from himself, albeit with no real fighting skills or desire to use his sediento abilities. Everything about him as a character is so goofy and relatable – it was impossible for me to not fall in love with him the second he got hit with a frying pan.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t also talk about the incredible family dynamics in this book. Montoya is able to express how much Carolina’s parents love her and are afraid of losing her in a way that tempers the blow of them trying to get her to act ‘as a young lady should.’ Nena is the mischievous LGBTQIA+ sister of dreams. Fernanda walks the delicate line between being a nosey little sister and being a beacon of support for Lalo really well. I may have wanted to spend more time with them both and get to know them better, but they were still a perfect supporting cast in Carolina and Lalo’s adventure.
The mystery behind sedientos, the remarkable character writing, and the accessible prose made this a very fun, engaging, and cozy read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a swoon-worthy YA romance that tackles vampires in a new and unique way.
Overall Rating on my shelf: 5/5
Favorite Quotes
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Favorite Quotes 〰️
“He was rather moody and preferred the company of the characters in books over actual friends.”
“Hope is a strange thing, don’t you think? It can pull you out of your darkest thoughts, but also leave you destroyed if that hope turns into nothing greater.
That’s when we must lean on the people who care for us the most. They hold us steady and do the hoping for us when we no longer can.”
“He loved her. She had seen it. He loved her, and it scared the life out of him. She loved him too, but that love didn’t scare her. If anything, his love made her feel braver than ever before. Because if he could see her, see the truest and most private parts of her, and love her still, then that love was something worth facing a thousand monsters for. ”
“Life is a constant battle. Every moment of peace, every smile, every kiss that is worth a damn must be earned. So fight with me, Lalo. And if you are too weary from everything you’ve already been through, then I’ll raise my fists and fight for us both.”
The Workout
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The Workout 〰️
The Warmup
aka prepping for fighting sedientos…with cast iron pansead things
1x Through
Downward Upward Dog - 8
Squat Knee Drive - 8 per side
Reverse Lunges - 6 per side
Jumping Jacks - 30 seconds
Corpse Pose - 40 seconds
Deadbugs - 6 per side
Piriformis Stretch - 8 per side
Head Turns - 30 seconds
Strength
Do one set of moves right after the other, then repeat the entire thing 3x
8 per side Wood Chops (SWING THAT PAN)
8-10 Pulls (PULL THAT CUTE VAMP TOWARD YOU HOO HOO)
10 per side Pallof Rotations (core control = stabby stab time)
6-8 per side Reverse Lunge Front Kick (we are kicking sedientos ALL THE WAY AWAY)
8 Chest Presses (to push away any UNWANTED SUITORS)
6 per side Single Leg Deadlifts (got for that strength to ride them horsies)
Accessory
Work in intervals with either sprints, rows, biking, or speed walking
Do the following 6x through, take a 2 minute break, then another 6x through
20 seconds of ALL OUT cardio sprinting!
40 seconds easy peasy pacing
Cooldown (sedientos vanquished, goal achieved)
20s per side Adductor Rocking
30s Cat Cow
30s Childs Pose
10 Wall Angels
20s per direction Hip Circles
20s per side Posture Stretch
